This tea was served at Copper Cup coffee shop in Lancaster, PA. Prior to that, I hadn't even heard of Passenger Coffee, and this tea really blew me away; I thought it exceptional.

I tend not to like silver needle white teas because they're often a bit too subtle (or, put less diplomatically, bland or weak) for me, and they also seem overly caffeinated (and expensive) relative to the flavor that they deliver. This tea, while very pricey and still seemingly highly caffeinated, also had the aroma and flavor to satisfy me.

The aroma is floral and very complex; there are a hint of the melon notes that I think of typical for silver needle, but there are also strong vegetal and herbaceous notes, reminding me almost of dried thyme. The flavor is rich and complex, with both sweet and bitter notes. Although astringency is moderate to low, the tea still has some body. Clean tasting but never weak, not even subtle.

Resteeps exceptionally well. I brewed a second cup using a long steep, and it came out so strong that I think I probably could have spaced it out and gotten three flavorful infusions out of the leaf. Keep this in mind...it makes the high price a little more reasonable.

I am eager to try more from this company. They've definitely gotten my attention with this first tea.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.